OPT Api Engineer Jobs
API Engineer jobs are well-suited for F-1 OPT students with backgrounds in computer science, software engineering, or a related technical field. Most roles qualify as specialty occupations, making H-1B visa sponsorship a realistic next step. Your 12-month OPT window, or 24-month STEM extension if eligible, gives you time to prove your value and secure long-term status.
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The e-Commerce industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years and has become a hotly contested space amongst leading Internet companies, and its future growth cannot be underestimated. With millions of loyal users globally, we believe TikTok is an ideal platform to deliver a brand new and better e-Commerce experience to our users. We aim to bring discovery, inspiration, and joy back to shopping by making TikTok the commerce channel of choice for merchants, creators, and affiliates. We are looking for passionate and talented people to join our product and operations team, to build an e-Commerce ecosystem that is innovative, secure and intuitive for our users and brands. This Forward Deployed Engineer will be responsible for partnering with external clients such as ISVs and merchants, to better improve their experience in working with TikTok Shop. They will be responsible for understanding the TikTok Shop platform ecosystem, and continue to design integration solutions for varying business scenarios.
- Gain deep understanding of TikTok Shop API capabilities and the platform ecosystem, and design integration solutions tailored to various business scenarios.
- Collaborate with key merchants, ISVs, and partner technical teams to guide them through API integration implementation and performance optimization.
- Develop and maintain standardized solution architectures, reference designs, and best practice documentation, and drive adoption internally and externally.
- Evaluate integration feasibility for new product features, providing optimization recommendations to align platform capabilities with market needs.
- Partner with product, engineering, and ecosystem teams to gather feedback, address integration challenges, and support API capability iterations.
- Provide technical consultation during pre-sales and post-sales phases, including solution review, technical troubleshooting, and ensuring high-quality delivery.
- Advocate TikTok Shop API integration solutions through industry events, partner training, and developer community engagement to drive adoption.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualification(s)
- Bachelor’s degree or above in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field.
- 3+ years of experience in technical solution design, solution engineering, or pre-sales engineering.
- Proficiency in RESTful API design and debugging, with solid understanding of data structures and system architecture.
- Strong business acumen with the ability to translate complex business requirements into practical technical solutions.
- Excellent cross-functional collaboration and client communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple stakeholders.
- Fast learner with the ability to adapt to new technologies and thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Preferred Qualification(s)
- Experience in e-Commerce platforms or SaaS products.
- Experience integrating with e-commerce, ERP, OMS, PIM, or WMS systems is a strong plus.
- Love content and enjoy shopping.
- Experience in e-Commerce merchandising platforms, seller onboarding tools, or buyer-seller matchmaking systems.
About TikTok
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and we also have offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.
Why Join Us
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy – a mission we work towards every day. We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
TikTok Accommodation
TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/RA-request
Job Information
【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Annually) The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $115520 - $198360 annually. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units. Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure). The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates: Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
3. Exercising sound judgment.
Responsibilities
The e-Commerce industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years and has become a hotly contested space amongst leading Internet companies, and its future growth cannot be underestimated. With millions of loyal users globally, we believe TikTok is an ideal platform to deliver a brand new and better e-Commerce experience to our users. We aim to bring discovery, inspiration, and joy back to shopping by making TikTok the commerce channel of choice for merchants, creators, and affiliates. We are looking for passionate and talented people to join our product and operations team, to build an e-Commerce ecosystem that is innovative, secure and intuitive for our users and brands. This Forward Deployed Engineer will be responsible for partnering with external clients such as ISVs and merchants, to better improve their experience in working with TikTok Shop. They will be responsible for understanding the TikTok Shop platform ecosystem, and continue to design integration solutions for varying business scenarios.
- Gain deep understanding of TikTok Shop API capabilities and the platform ecosystem, and design integration solutions tailored to various business scenarios.
- Collaborate with key merchants, ISVs, and partner technical teams to guide them through API integration implementation and performance optimization.
- Develop and maintain standardized solution architectures, reference designs, and best practice documentation, and drive adoption internally and externally.
- Evaluate integration feasibility for new product features, providing optimization recommendations to align platform capabilities with market needs.
- Partner with product, engineering, and ecosystem teams to gather feedback, address integration challenges, and support API capability iterations.
- Provide technical consultation during pre-sales and post-sales phases, including solution review, technical troubleshooting, and ensuring high-quality delivery.
- Advocate TikTok Shop API integration solutions through industry events, partner training, and developer community engagement to drive adoption.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualification(s)
- Bachelor’s degree or above in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field.
- 3+ years of experience in technical solution design, solution engineering, or pre-sales engineering.
- Proficiency in RESTful API design and debugging, with solid understanding of data structures and system architecture.
- Strong business acumen with the ability to translate complex business requirements into practical technical solutions.
- Excellent cross-functional collaboration and client communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple stakeholders.
- Fast learner with the ability to adapt to new technologies and thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Preferred Qualification(s)
- Experience in e-Commerce platforms or SaaS products.
- Experience integrating with e-commerce, ERP, OMS, PIM, or WMS systems is a strong plus.
- Love content and enjoy shopping.
- Experience in e-Commerce merchandising platforms, seller onboarding tools, or buyer-seller matchmaking systems.
About TikTok
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and we also have offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.
Why Join Us
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy – a mission we work towards every day. We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
TikTok Accommodation
TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/RA-request
Job Information
【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Annually) The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $115520 - $198360 annually. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units. Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure). The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates: Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
3. Exercising sound judgment.
See all 98+ OPT Api Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Api Engineer Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as an Api Engineer
Target companies with active H-1B filing histories
Employers who have sponsored H-1B visas for API engineers before are far more likely to do it again. Prioritize companies with a track record of sponsoring software and backend engineering roles over those with no filing history.
Apply before your OPT start date
Hiring timelines for API roles typically run six to twelve weeks. Starting your search two to three months before your OPT authorization begins gives you enough runway to negotiate a start date that aligns with your work authorization.
Highlight backend and integration experience clearly
Employers screening OPT candidates want to see specific technical depth. Lead with REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and any API gateway or microservices experience. Vague descriptions of software work won't differentiate you in a competitive applicant pool.
Confirm your degree field qualifies for the STEM OPT extension
API engineering roles typically fall under software engineering or computer science, both STEM-designated fields. Verify your specific CIP code with your DSO before accepting an offer, so you know whether the 24-month extension is available to you.
Address sponsorship directly in your cover letter
Many employers assume OPT means complicated paperwork. A short, confident sentence stating you're authorized to work on OPT now and eligible for H-1B sponsorship before your authorization expires removes ambiguity and keeps your application moving forward.
Negotiate your start date around OPT approval timing
USCIS recommends applying for OPT 90 days before your program end date, but EAD processing can take two to three months. Build your job search timeline around your expected EAD receipt date, not just your graduation date.
Api Engineer OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do API Engineer roles qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, in most cases. API Engineer positions typically fall under software engineering, computer science, or computer and information science, all of which are STEM-designated fields. Your specific eligibility depends on the CIP code attached to your degree, not your job title. Confirm with your DSO that your program qualifies before you rely on the 24-month extension in your job search planning.
How do I find API Engineer jobs that sponsor OPT and H-1B visas?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically for roles open to OPT and visa sponsorship, which removes the guesswork of cold-applying to companies that won't consider work authorization. For API engineering roles, look for employers in fintech, SaaS, and enterprise software, where backend API development is a core function and H-1B sponsorship is common.
Can I switch API Engineer employers while on OPT without losing my status?
Yes, OPT is not tied to a specific employer the way H-1B status is. You can change jobs as long as your new role is directly related to your field of study and you report the change to your DSO within ten days. On the STEM OPT extension, your new employer must also sign a Form I-983 training plan before you begin work.
What happens to my OPT if my API Engineer job is fully remote?
Remote work is permitted on OPT, but your employer must still be a legitimate U.S.-based company with a real business presence. You cannot work remotely for a foreign employer while on OPT. For the STEM extension, remote employees are still covered under the I-983 requirement, and your employer is responsible for supervising your training plan regardless of work location.
How early should I start applying for API Engineer roles before my OPT authorization begins?
Start applying two to three months before your expected OPT start date. API engineering hiring processes, including technical screens, system design interviews, and offer negotiations, typically take six to twelve weeks. Factoring in EAD processing time of eight to twelve weeks, beginning your search shortly after submitting your OPT application puts you on the most reliable timeline.